Thursday, May 31, 2012

On May 26th I had my 40th birthday. I had a good time. I was working a booth at the Comicpalooza comic book convention in Houston, Texas. I met Ernie Hudson one of the Ghostbusters, Sean Patrick Flanery, who played the teenage Indiana Jones. I also met Hercules, Kevin Sorbo and Michael Biehn, who was in the Terminator movie and many other movies. I also met Joe Kubert who is a legendary comic book artist who illustrated the Bible, Tarzan, SGT Rock and many other classic comics.

For the year ahead I have a couple of thoughts. First is "Little is much is God is in it." The question is should I earn a doctorate? I think so-but I think it is time for me to try to make a name for myself if you will. The other statement is "Attempt Great things for God, Expect Great Things from God."

Looking back over 40 years what have I accomplished with my life? Well, I have done a lot. I have done things that other people only dream about. I have been promoted to captain and I have been to war twice. I have written and published several books and artwork. I am also well traveled-having been to the Middle East, Europe and Africa several times.

But there are many things that I have wanted to accomplish but haven't-such as getting married. Losing a very close friend about a year ago has been very difficult.

In this past year I have met with the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, I have gone on a mission trip to Africa and I have promoted my work at the comicpalooza.

So, what is ahead? I have the upcoming comic and Assyrian conventions. This fall I need to look for a teaching position, apply for a doctoral program and work on my teachers certification.

For the Assyrian convention I am going to create a new comic book: "The Assyrian Christian heritage" and two new booklets "An Introduction to the Aramaic Churches" and "The Final Hope for the Assyrian Nation." For the comic convention I want to put out more of my "Chronicles: Facts from the Bible" comics. I also want to have more art for the "Christ the Man" book and comic, the Seven Signs (about the Seven main miracles from the Gospel of John), and art for some more projects-maybe I can get some things done for "The Epic of Baal" and "Saint Thomas in India."

Please pray for me-and for the situation in Syria-of which I am very concerned about.

Cut off aid to Pakistan and free hero doctor who helped us find Bin Laden By Rep. Dana RohrabacherPublished May 24, 2012 FoxNews.com The persecution and unjust imprisonment of Dr. Shakeel Afridi, the Pakistani hero who helped the United States locate Usama bin Laden, is the smoking gun that explicitly demonstrates the government of Pakistan is on the side of terrorism and radical Islam. In May 2011, several weeks after the successful raid to kill bin Laden, Pakistan arrested Dr. Afridi, seized his assets, fired his medical staff, charged him with treason and held him without trial for a year. The whereabouts of his wife, whom we believe to be an American citizen, are currently unknown. Why? Because Dr. Afridi assisted the US in bringing down the world's most wanted terrorist, responsible for the slaughter of over 3,000 innocent American lives on 9/11. While a small number of administration officials weakly expressed concern about his plight, he has been abandoned by the US government, the same government he risked his life to help. This is not the first time Pakistan has acted against the United States. In fact, Dr. Afridi's recent sentencing to three decades in prison is the crescendo of Pakistan's anti-Americanism. For the past decade Pakistan's government has been playing both sides; they have publicly taken over $20 billion dollars in American aid money since 9/11 to allegedly help with the war effort against terrorism, while behind the scenes they have been using much of that money to support and coordinate insurgent groups (such as the Haqqani network that is now murdering Americans in Afghanistan), arm their military to fight India, and line the pockets of top generals in league with radical Islamacists. It is despicable and unforgivable that Pakistan has not held anyone responsible for allowing bin Laden to live in a mansion in a major Pakistani city for years, but has put in jail the man who found him. Despite plentiful evidence, no one in Pakistan has been charged with facilitating the deadly terrorist assault by Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai. It is foolhardy and self-delusional for the US government to continue to give money, hand over fist, to the Pakistani military and intelligence services who clearly direct and support terrorist groups to further Pakistan's sphere of influence. Retired Admiral Michael Mullen, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that Pakistani intelligence directed the Haqqani Network to carry out an "assault on our embassy [in Kabul]" and said that "the Haqqani network acts as a veritable arm of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency." Pakistan is openly at war with the United States, yet the Obama administration refuses to acknowledge this fact. Since last fall, Pakistan has closed all their ground transportation corridors to supply our combat troops in Afghanistan. This is harmful to our efforts in Afghanistan and has forced the Department of Defense to use other supply routes through central Asia, roughly doubling the cost of transportation to U.S. tax payers. Pakistan has offered to reopen their roads to supplies, but only if the United States pays a ransom of $5,000 dollars per truck. In February of this year I introduced two pieces of legislation to directly help Dr. Afridi and to bring more attention to his cause. The first H.R. 4069, would award Dr. Afridi the Congressional Gold Medal for his courage and outstanding acts to help our country. That bill is now languishing in the House Financial Services Committee and has not been voted on. Additionally, I introduced HR 3901, a bill to grant Dr. Afridi U.S. citizenship; a sign that the American government has not forgotten him and will not forsake him. Neither bill has yet to receive a vote. Now is the time for Congress to do the right thing and bring these bills to the House floor. Dr. Afridi has been waiting for help for over a year and the US Congress and Obama administration are failing him. Congress is now passing appropriations bills that provide billions more in aid to Pakistan. This is wrong. Pakistan believes America is weak and foolish, because so far, that is how we have been acting. Like an ostrich with its head in the sand, we refuse to see the truth. Our government knows what is happening, but it remains quiet, hoping the problem will go away. This is self-defeating. It is time to cut off all aid to Pakistan and to demand the release of Dr. Afridi.

Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher represents California's 46th district in the U.S. House of Representatives.Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/05/24/cut-off-aid-to-pakistan-and-free-hero-doctor-who-helped-us-find-bin-laden/#ixzz1vsXVGLq4

NOTE: There are (not surprising) reports that the Pakistani doctor has been and is being tortured. Liberals are outraged when "enhanced interrogations" are used on mass murdering terrorists-but don't seem to care when heroes and patriots are tortured and wounded.

(The books listed below can be ordered through Amazon.com or Barnes and Nobles On-line or can be ordered through their publisher.)

The Words of Jesus in the Original Aramaic: Discovering the Semitic Roots of Christianity (Xulon Press, 2006)

Although Bible scholars have called Aramaic "the Language of Jesus" most Christians have never heard of Aramaic. However, anyone who has read the Bible has been exposed to Aramaic whether he or she knows it or not. "Abba, Father" is Aramaic. Golgotha, the place where Jesus was crucified is Aramaic for "Skull-Place". Names such as Thomas, Barnabas, Martha, and Magdalene are all Aramaic names. "Maranatha" is a short Aramaic prayer that is left un-translated in the New Testament. Translated from the Aramaic it means, "Our Lord, Come!" After the release of Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ", which was filmed mostly in Aramaic, more people have been exposed to the Aramaic language than ever before. Aramaic is an important but often over-looked tool in discovering the mind of Christ. This book is an introduction to Aramaic biblical studies and to the last Christians who still speak the ancient Aramaic language, the Assyrians of Mesopotamia. This book also explores the Aramaic behind Christ's words, such as in the title Christ used for himself, the Son of Man, which is Barnasha in Aramaic, and looks at important people in early Aramaic Christianity, such as James the Just and Mary of Magdala.

According to the Biblical account Mary of Magdala was the first witness of the resurrection. The early fathers of the church called Mary Magdalene the "Apostle of the Apostles". She played an important, but until recently, largely ignored role in the early church. Aramaic was the language of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Her name "Magdalene" is an Aramaic name meaning "the Tower". St. Jerome, who was fluent in Aramaic, believed she was called "the Tower" due to her ardent faith. This book explores Mary of Magdala through the Aramaic language and ancient Aramaic sources and traditions.

Treasures of the Language of Jesus: The Aramaic Source of Christ's Teaching (Xlibris, 2006)

Treasures of the Language of Jesus: The Aramaic Source of Christ's Teachings explores Jesus in the light of his language, culture and times. Bible scholars have determined that Aramaic was the language that was spoken by Jesus Christ. This book examines the meanings of Aramaic words and Aramaic figures of speech that are found in the New Testament. Treasures of the Language of Jesus is an introduction to Aramaic biblical studies and to the last surviving native speakers of the Aramaic language, the Assyrians and Chaldeans of Mesopotamia.

Aramaic: The Language of Jesus of Nazareth (Xlibris, 2008)

Aramaic: The Language of Jesus of Nazareth is a brief introduction to the Aramaic language. Bible scholars have determined that Aramaic was the language spoken by Jesus Christ. This book lists the evidence from the Bible, archeology and other ancient records that have led them to this conclusion. Examining the words of Jesus in his native language gives us a deeper understanding of the Messiah and his message. Aramaic: The Language of Jesus of Nazareth serves an important introduction to Aramaic biblical studies and to the last surviving native speakers of the Aramaic language, the Assyrian Christians of Mesopotamia.

Christ the Man (Xulon Press, 2010)

Immerse yourself in the life of John the Baptizer and Jesus the Christ as they preach God's New Covenant with the beasts of the field, with the birds of the air, and with all the living things of the earth (Hosea 2:18). John and Jesus' radical new message of forgiveness and hope provokes opposition from the authorities. After John is arrested, Jesus decides to confront the religious establishment in the very courts of the Temple of Jerusalem! Jesus rescues the animals from sacrifice, evicts the all the merchants and their customers from the Temple and then boldly proclaims, "My Father's House shall be a house of prayer for all nationalities!" Rediscover the beginnings of the Good News of Christ the Man. Gain fresh insights on the historical background of the life of Christ supplemented with twenty illustrations from the "Christ the Man" graphic novel.

The Hammer of God: The Stories of Judah Maccabee and Charles Martel (Xulon Press, 2010)

According to the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ celebrated the Festival of Hanukkah (John 10:22). Hanukkah celebrates the heroic exploits of Judas Maccabeus and his battle for religious freedom. These events occurred during the four-hundred silent years between the Old and New Testaments. The Seleucid Greeks that ruled over the Jewish people made observing Judaism a capital offense and ordered all copies of the Bible to be collected and burned. In the year 167 Before Christ, Judas Maccabaeus led the Jewish people into battle to preserve the Holy Bible and to establish religious liberty. Judas was called Maccabeus which means "the Hammer" in Aramaic. Centuries later, in the year 732 A.D, Charles Martel, known as "Charles the Hammer," fought to defend the religious liberties of the Christians and Jews in Europe when an army of Islamic terrorists threatened to eradicate Christianity in France. In The Hammer of God learn about the history of the battle for religious freedom, a battle that continues today.

( Charles Martel: The Hammer of God and Judas Maccabeus: The Hammer of God (Createspace 2011) are also available.

The Ascents of James: A Lost Acts of the Apostles (Create Space 2010)

The Ascents of James is an ancient account of the life of James the Just, the brother of Jesus, that was composed by the Ebionites, an ancient sect of Jewish Christians, at a time close to the end of the first century. In this ancient Jewish Christian book, James and the Twelve Apostles explain their beliefs in Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and answer questions from their opponents on the steps of the Temple of Jerusalem. The main argument made in The Ascents of James is that Jesus is the Prophet like Moses prophesied in Deuteronomy 18: 15-22. The Ascents of James provides us with a rare perspective into an extinct and very ancient form of Jewish Christianity.

The Second Adam and the Restoration of All Things (Create Space 2010)

According to the Book of Genesis in the Holy Bible, God created Adam and Eve in a state of harmony with Nature. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were expulsed from the Garden of Eden. In the New Testament, Jesus is described as the Second Adam who brings a restoration of all things (Acts 3:21). Describing the New Testament, Hosea says, "In that day I will make a New Covenant for them with the beasts of the field, with the birds of the air, and with the creeping things of the ground. Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth, to make them lie down safely" (Hosea 2:18). According to the Gospel of Mark, the Good News is Good News for all creatures or all creation (Mark 16:15). The Bible states that in God's New Kingdom, "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:9).

Saint Thaddeus and the King of Assyria: The Aramaic Origins of Christianity (Create Space 2010)

According to ancient manuscripts written in the Aramaic language, Saint Thaddeus, one of the Apostles of Jesus Christ, traveled to Mesopotamia and preached the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the Assyrians and preached in Chaldea and Babylonian as well. The Assyrian people received the Gospel and became fervent Christians. The Assyrian Church of the East produced many great theologians and scholars. Assyrian missionaries planted churches in India, China, Mongolia and Socotra all before the year 700 A.D. Under the pagan Persians and then later under the Moslems, the Assyrians endured horrific persecution because of their Christian faith. The Assyrian Christians still endure persecution and still live in Iran and Iraq and have survived as a dynamic living testimony to the saving power of Jesus Christ.

A Soldier in Iraq (Createspace 2011) A children's book about Stephen's experiences in Iraq in 2003 and 2004.

The Lord's Prayer in the Original Aramaic (Createspace 2011) Analyzing the Lord's Prayer through the language he spoke.

Jesus the Poet (Createspace 2011) Discover Hebraic poetry in the saying of Jesus. King David is "the sweet psalmist of Israel" in the Bible (2 Samuel 23:1) but rarely do we think of Jesus "the Son of David" as a poet. But when we examine his words against their Semitic background we see that he clearly was. Jesus was a poet of the Hebrew tradition. In his proclamations Jesus spoke Aramaic but used Hebrew poetic structures that are found in the Sacred Scriptures and other ancient Hebrew and Aramaic literature. Many people have read the Bible all of their lives totally ignorant of the poetic structures of many of the texts (especially in the prophets and the psalms). Knowing the structures helps us to read and understand the Bible better. Once the poetic structures are learned it becomes amazing to the reader how often they are used in the text and how obvious they are.

The Lord's Prayer in the Original Aramaic (Createspace 2011)

The evidence points to Aramaic being the original language of the Lord's Prayer. It has been confirmed by scholars that Jesus composed this famous prayer in Aramaic and not in Hebrew, Greek or Latin. To understand the Lord's Prayer properly we must study it in Aramaic. Very few people have attempted to understand the Lord's Prayer by studying it in the original Aramaic. The Lord's Prayer contains the essence of the entire teachings of Jesus, his Good News, or Joyful Message, that he preached wherever he traveled in the Holy Land. It also contains the basic message of the Torah and the Prophets. In this book the Lord's Prayer is examined phrase-by-phrase in Aramaic and the prayer is examined in its cultural, linguistic and historical context. In this book ancient Jewish prayers from the first century are also examined.

The Ennead and The Art of the Ennead (Createspace 2011)

Egyptian mythology about Osiris, Isis and Horus gives us the Egyptian cultural background to the Exodus story.

Many people are fascinated by the ancient Egyptians and yet find them mysterious and baffling. The ancient Egyptians had a great diversity of religious beliefs and a diversity of myths. To have a basic understanding of the ancient Egyptians it is necessary to know the Ennead. The Ennead is one of the most important myths from ancient Egypt. It is the story of King Osiris the Vindicated, the Beloved Enchantress Isis and Horus the Avenger. The story of the Ennead presents the Egyptian view of creation, the struggle between good and evil and the nature of the afterlife. The Ennead is a group of nine gods worshiped at Heliopolis in ancient Egypt. (The word "Ennead" is derived from a Greek word meaning "nine.") The Ennead is composed of Atum, Shu, Tefnut, Geb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nephthys. The story of the Ennead is told in this book and it provides essential basic knowledge that will enable the reader to comprehend ancient Egyptian beliefs, culture, traditions and religious practices. The Ennead is one of the oldest stories in the world going back to around 2,500 years Before Christ. "The Art of the Ennead" is an illustrated re-telling of this ancient Egyptian tale.

The Secret of Jabez

Discover an astonishing truth that has been concealed for centuries and is now unveiled at last! This book tells the story of the first people known to history to have worshiped Yahweh (Jehovah) as the one God, a tribe of Kenite Arabs called the Rechabites. Recent archeological evidence has convinced historians and Bible scholars that it was these Kenites, an Arab tribe that pre-dates Abraham and Ishmael, who were the first to call upon God by the name of "Yahweh," or Jehovah, and to worship him as the one true God. It was they who introduced the Israelites to the worship of Yahweh God. Jabez, who has been popularized through his short prayer found in the book of Chronicles in the Holy Bible, has a unique connection with these Rechabites. Jeremiah called the Rechabites a people blessed by God, and used the example of the faithfulness of this gentile (meaning non-Jewish) people to condemn the great lack of faith in God found among the Israelites. These Rechabites are still wandering the deserts of the Middle East to this very day. They are still devoted to Yahweh and bear on their bodies the emblem of their tribe. This symbol they have bore since their beginning as a people. Like Paul they bear on their bodies "the marks of the Lord Jesus" (Galatians 6:17). They have worn this stigma from time immemorial. Now let us unravel the secrets of the Prayer of Jabez, decode its hidden meaning and unlock the mystery of the lost and forgotten identity of Jabez and reveal the true purpose of his prayer.

613 Commandments

The Rabbis' have counted 613 commandments given by God to Moses in the first five books of the Bible. These books are called the Torah (Instruction) or the Pentateuch (meaning "five books"). In this handbook the 613 commandments are outlined for easy reference.

Christ's Language

This book is about the Aramaic language of Jesus with an emphasis on the Jewish background of Jesus and the Jewish use of the Aramaic language.

Maccabee

This book contains a comic book retelling of the Hanukkah story along with an abridged re-telling of the Hanukkah story taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

KINDLE BOOKS

(These books are also available in hard copies.)

The Language of Jesus: Introducing Aramaic (2010)

"The Language of Jesus: Introducing Aramaic" is a brief introduction to general facts about the Aramaic language. Bible scholars have determined that Aramaic was the language spoken by Jesus Christ. This book lists the evidence from the Bible, archeology and other ancient records that have led them to this conclusion. Examining the words of Jesus in his native language gives us a deeper understanding of the Messiah and his message. "The Language of Jesus: Introducing Aramaic" serves an important introduction to Aramaic biblical studies and to the last surviving native speakers of the Aramaic language, the Assyrian Christians of Mesopotamia.

Judas Maccabeus: The Hammer of God (2010)

The Story of Judah Maccabee is a timeless inspirational story of great faith and courage against seemingly impossible odds. It is also a timely story about the collision of traditional religion and modernity. Hanukkah celebrates the heroic exploits of Judas Maccabeus and his battle for religious freedom. These events occurred during the four-hundred silent years between the Old and New Testaments. The Seleucid Greeks that ruled over the Jewish people made observing Judaism a capital offense and ordered all copies of the Bible to be collected and burned. In the year 167 Before Christ, Judas Maccabaeus led the Jewish people into battle to preserve the Holy Bible and to establish religious liberty. Judas was called Maccabeus which means "the Hammer" in Aramaic. In Judas Maccabeus: The Hammer of God learn about the history of the battle for religious freedom, a battle that continues today.

Charles Martel: The Hammer of God (2010)

In the year 732 A.D, Charles Martel, known as "Charles the Hammer," fought to defend the religious liberties of the Christians and Jews in Europe when an army of Islamic terrorists threatened to eradicate Christianity in France. Vastly outnumbered and fighting against impossible odds, Charles miraculously prevailed and conquered the terrorist hordes at the Battle of Tours. This battle is considered to be one of the most decisive and history altering battles of all time. In The Hammer of God learn about the history of the battle for religious freedom, a battle that continues today.

(Charles Martel: The Hammer of God is the companion book of "Judas Maccabeus: The Hammer of God" but is not yet available on kindle.)

ARTICLES

(Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies www.jaas.org)

The Assyrian Church in the Mongol Empire, Mar Thoma: The Apostolic Foundation of the Assyrian Church in India, and Socotra: The Mysterious Island of the Church of the East which were published in the Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies (Volume XIII, No. 2, 1999, Volume XIV, No. 2, 2000 and Volume XVI No. 1, 2002).

VIDEOS

(Crossover Videos: www.thecrossoverproject.org)

Iraq's Christians in Crisis

The Armenian Genocide

COMIC BOOKS

The Assyrians: The Oldest Christian People

Chronicles: Facts from the Bible

The Hammer of God: Character and Historical Reference

The Hammer of God Coloring Book

The Hammer of God Mini-Comic

The Hammer of God: The Battle for Religious Freedom

Stephen Andrew Missick

Reverend Stephen Andrew Missick is the author of The Assyrian Church in the Mongol Empire, Mar Thoma: The Apostolic Foundation of the Assyrian Church in India, and Socotra: The Mysterious Island of the Church of the East which were published in the Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies (Volume XIII, No. 2, 1999, Volume XIV, No. 2, 2000 and Volume XVI No. 1, 2002, see www.jaas.org ). He is the author of The Words of Jesus in the Original Aramaic: Discovering the Semitic Roots of Christianity, Mary of Magdala: Magdalene, the Forgotten Aramaic Prophetess of Christianity, Treasures of the Language of Jesus: The Aramaic Source of Christ's Teaching, Aramaic: The Language of Jesus of Nazareth and Christ the Man. He is an ordained minister of the gospel. He graduated from Sam Houston State University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Rev. Missick has traveled extensively throughout the Middle East and has lived among the Coptic Christians in Egypt and Aramaic Christians in Syria. He also served as a soldier in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and 2004. While serving as a soldier in Iraq he learned Aramaic from native Aramaic-speaking Iraqi Assyrian Christians. Rev. Missick is the writer and illustrator of the comic book "The Assyrians: The Oldest Christian People," the comic strip Chronicles: Facts from the Bible and the comic book series The Hammer of God which are available from www.comixpress.com. The Hammer of God comic book series dramatizes the stories of Judah Maccabee and Charles Martel. He has also served as a chaplain in the Army National Guard in Iraq during his second deployment in 2009 and 2010.

AMMAN, Jordan – A Christian Jordanian woman said Sunday she is suing her Gulf Arab employer for arbitrary dismissal after she refused a new dress code forcing her to cover her head. The incident is rare and could stir religious tensions in Jordan, a predominantly conservative Muslim nation whose Western-educated ruler — King Abdullah II — is perceived as a staunch supporter of moderate Islam and tolerance of other religions. "We are not in Iran, we are in Jordan, and we must continue to enjoy personal and religious freedoms as stipulated by our constitution," said Vivian Salameh, 45, an assistant manager of corporate operations at the Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank since March 2010 until she was fired a week ago. "I'm Christian. Why should I wear something not dictated by my religion?" she said in an interview. Christians make up nearly 4 percent of the country's 6 million population. Bank spokeswoman Eman Affaneh confirmed that Salameh was fired because "she refused to comply with the terms of her contract, which stipulates that all employees must respect management regulations and bank bylaws." "We are an Islamic establishment and the dress code is a reflection of our conservative Muslim traditions and values," she said. Salameh says she had worked for Jordan's Industrial Development Bank for 25 years until it was acquired in 2010 by the Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank — an offshoot of the Dubai Islamic Bank based in the United Arab Emirates. In January 2011, the new management issued a new regulation stipulating a unified dress code for its workers, including waist-to-heel skirts and head covers for female employees. Salameh accepted the uniform, but refused to wear the head cover on grounds that it violated her religious beliefs and since the contract she signed when she was hired did not oblige her to a dress code. Affaneh, the spokeswoman, said the headcover "is a fashionable piece of white cloth that shows the hair line — like what women wear in the Gulf Arab countries." "It's not a headscarf, covering all the hair," she added. She and Salameh said that five other Christian women employees at the bank accepted wearing the headcover. When Salameh refused the head cover, "no action was taken against me for nearly 17 months until two weeks ago, when I was suddenly given two notices, five days apart, warning me that I will lose my job if I don't wear the head cover," she said. "When I stuck by my decision, I was verbally fired last Sunday," she said, adding that she filed a lawsuit against the bank. The next legal step would be for the court to decide when it would hear the case. Affaneh, the spokeswoman, says the bank has not been notified of the lawsuit. "Her contract allows her to do what she wants," she said. She declined to discuss the matter further.

Good News-if Syria loses Russia's support-it could be the beginning of the end of the brutal Assad/Alawite regime in Syria-the leading force of de-stability in the region.Hopefully, Mr. Assad is packing his bags and is ready to flee.I would like to see Mr. Assad brought to justice-but-if Syria is free from his evil rule-that would be enough! Remember-I lived in Syria and I observed the evil Alawite regime with my own eyes! I love Syria and hate the Alawite regime.

Russia states that it doesn't support the Syrian Regime

BEIRUT (AP) — A weekend massacre of more than 100 people emerged as a potential turning point in the Syrian crisis Monday, galvanizing even staunch ally Russia to take an unusually hard line against President Bashar Assad's government. Analysts said Russia may be warning Assad that he needs to change course or lose Moscow's support, which has been a key layer of protection for the Syrian government during the uprising that began in March 2011. Russia has grown increasingly critical of Damascus in recent months, but Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's latest comments were unusually strong. Although he said opposition forces have terrorists among them, he put the blame for 15 months of carnage primarily on Assad's government. "The government bears the main responsibility for what is going on," Lavrov said in Moscow following a meeting with British Foreign Secretary William Hague. "Any government in any country bears responsibility for the security of its citizens." Alexei Malashenko, a Middle East expert with the Carnegie Moscow Center, said Lavrov's comments suggest Russia may be backing away from its long-standing support for Damascus. "Bashar Assad is driving himself and Russia into a corner," Malashenko said. "Bashar has definitely gotten the sense that he may lose Russia's sympathy, and he may step back a bit." It is not clear whether Assad's forces were exclusively to blame for the slaughter of 108 people Friday in Houla, a collection of poor farming villages in Homs province. The United Nations said 49 children and 34 women were among the dead; some had bullet holes through their heads. The U.N. Security Council blamed Syrian forces for artillery and tank shelling of residential areas, but it did not clearly state who was responsible for the close-range shooting deaths and "severe physical abuse" of civilians. Activists from the area said the army pounded the villages with artillery and clashed with local rebels. They said pro-government gunmen later stormed the area, doing the bulk of the killing by gunning down men in the streets and stabbing women and children in their homes. The Syrian government rejected that account entirely, saying soldiers were attacked in their bases and fought back in self-defense without leaving their bases. Russia blamed both the government and the rebels for the Houla massacre. "Both sides have obviously had a hand in the deaths of innocent people, including several dozen women and children," Lavrov said. "This area is controlled by the rebels, but it is also surrounded by the government troops." He said Russia has no interest in propping up Assad but wants Syria to guide its own transition under a plan brokered by special envoy Kofi Annan. "We don't support the Syrian government; we support Kofi Annan's plan," Lavrov said. Moscow's pro-Syria stance has been motivated in part by its strategic and defense ties to Damascus, including weapons sales. Russia also rejects what it sees as a world order dominated by the U.S. Losing Russian support could be disastrous for Assad because his crackdown has left him almost completely isolated internationally. Russia and China have stood by him so far, using their veto power to block U.N. resolutions against him. Hilal Khashan, a political science professor at the American University of Beirut, said the Houla massacre appears to be ushering in a change in Russia's position. "There is a shift and the momentum against the regime is gathering," Khashan said. "The momentum is building and the Russians are not blocking the rising momentum." The Syrian conflict is among the most explosive of the Arab Spring, in part because of Syria's allegiances to powerful forces, including Lebanon's Hezbollah and Shiite powerhouse Iran. Activists say as many as 12,000 people have been killed since the uprising began. The U.N. put the toll as of March, a year into the uprising, at 9,000, but many hundreds more have died since. Annan's peace plan, which calls for a cease-fire and dialogue, has been faltering for weeks. But Western leaders have pinned their hopes on his diplomatic pressure, since the U.S. and others are unwilling to get deeply involved in another Arab nation in turmoil. Annan arrived in Damascus on Monday for talks with Assad and other officials and called on "every individual with a gun" in Syria to lay down arms, saying he was horrified by the Houla massacre. Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Holland spoke on the phone and expressed their desire to work with Russia to resolve the crisis in Syria. A British spokeswoman said Cameron and Hollande agreed to act together to "bring an end to the bloody suppression of the Syrian people." Activists reported fresh violence Monday, saying troops shelled several neighborhoods in Hama, killing at least 24 people. ___Berry reported from Moscow. AP writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.

AMERICA and other nations around the world-are kicking out their Syrian ambassador's over this atrocity. BEIRUT – The U.N. said Tuesday that entire families were shot in their homes during a massacre in Syria last week that killed more than 100 people, including children. Most of the victims were shot at close range, the U.N. said. Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the conclusions were based on accounts gathered by U.N. monitors and corroborated by other sources. He said U.N. monitors found that fewer than 20 of the 108 people killed in the west-central area of Houla were killed by artillery fire. "Most of the rest of the victims were summarily executed in two separate incidents," Colville told reporters in Geneva. "At this point it looks like entire families were shot in their houses." He said witnesses blamed pro-government thugs known as shabiha for the attacks, noting that they sometimes operate "in concert" with government forces. The killings in a collection of villages called Houla near the central Syrian city of Homs last week have drawn fresh attention to the Syrian conflict, in part because of the brutality of the massacre. Activists posted amateur videos online showing shells exploding in the village, dismembered bodies lying in the streets, then rows of dozens of dead laid out before being buried in a mass grave. The U.N. has said government forces fired tank shells and artillery at Houla, but stopped short of blaming them for Friday's killings. Activists said most of the victims were killed by pro-government thugs who stormed the area after clashes with local rebels, but the regime categorically denied any involvement. The United Nations said previously that 108 people were killed in the massacre, including 49 children and 34 women; some had bullet holes through their heads. International envoy Kofi Annan met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus on Tuesday, Syria's state new agency reported without giving further details.

As a soldier who went to war twice and as someone who has worked with our horrifically wounded warriors-I find MSNBC's Memorial Day comments that those who have died in combat in the war on terror are not heroes deeply offensive. MSNBC and CNN are both CRAP and it is time for people to change the channel. Not only does Chris Hayes need to be fired both of these anti-American communist networks need to go off the air. HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY EVERYBODY. REMEMBER THE HONORED DEAD-those who gave the last full measure-their very lives-out of devotion to the greatest nation on earth and in human history-the U. S. of A. As a chaplain our mission is to "Nurture the living, care for the wounded, honor the dead"… that is-our fallen HEROES. Here is the idiot's full quote, "I feel uncomfortable about the word 'hero' because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war. Um, and, I don't want to obviously desecrate or disrespect memory of anyone that's fallen, and obviously there are individual circumstances in which there is genuine, tremendous heroism, you know, hail of gunfire, rescuing fellow soldiers, and things like that. But it seems to me that we marshal this word in a way that is problematic. But maybe I'm wrong about that…"

"News Media censors story about Christians suing Obamacare due to it's violation of Religious Freedom" BILL O'Reilly May 23, 2012-05-29 CNN are both CRAP and it is time people turn the channel. Not only does Chris Hayes need to be fired these two anti-American communist networks need to go off the air.HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY EVERYBODY. REMEMBER THE HONORED DEAD-those who gave the last full measure-their very lives-out of devotion to the greatest nation on earth and in Human history-the US of A. As a chaplain our mission is always to "Nurture the Living, Care for the wounded and Honor the Dead" our fallen HEROES. http://news.yahoo.com/ann-coulter-msnbc-host-fallen-argued-soldiers-aren-001641378.html

By Bill O'Reilly There are three things I want to tell you about tonight. Number one, in Pakistan Dr. Shakil Afridi has been sentenced to 33 years in prison. The doctor helped the CIA locate Osama bin Laden. He did the world, the entire world a major favor. But Pakistan... his own country is punishing him. That's a direct insult to every American citizen and therefore Pakistan must be punished by us. It's clear the country is not a friend to America. They have given us a hard time for years. They allow Taliban terrorists to operate within their country. They know bin Laden was hiding in the north, they knew that. And they don't give a deuce about what we think. And so all U.S. aid must be immediately suspended to Pakistan. And we should up our aid to Pakistan's enemy, India and see how they like that. Pakistan is a rogue nation. It's not as bad as Iran but it's close. Enough with coddling these people. President Obama should demand that the Pakistani government send Dr. Afridi to the U.S.A. just as we did with China in the case of dissident Chen Guangcheng. If Pakistan refuses to release the doctor all aid stops, as simple as that.

Number two tonight, another friend of the President who's a stalwart Democrat goes off the reservation. When asked about Bain Capital, Romney's previous employer, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick stuck up for the company. Now, that's the second shot across the bow of the Obama re- election campaign. First Mayor Cory Booker of Newark and now Governor Patrick of Massachusetts telling the President to pretty much knock off the anti-capitalist stuff. Why? Because large corporations help individual states, the governors need the revenue. That's why.

Number three... You will not likely hear critical commentary against President Obama on the issues of Pakistan and capitalism on the three network news broadcasts. Once again the Media Research Center provides the proof. On Monday a major story about the Catholic Church filing lawsuits against the Obama administration was ignored completely by ABC News and NBC News. The CBS Evening News devoted 19 seconds to it, 19 seconds. Now, many believe the nightly network newscasts are not going to report stories that make President Obama look bad unless they absolutely have to. Bernie Goldberg with more on that in just a few moments. So, let's recap. "Talking Points" wants President Obama to get tough with Pakistan, to knock off the anti-capitalist campaign rhetoric, and to suggest to the networks that they cover the election in a fair and balanced way. The last one, no hope; the first two, not much.

We've all wondered what Jesus was like as a boy. All we know is that he "grew up healthy and strong" and was "filled with wisdom, and God's favor was on him" (Luke 2:40). Novelist Anne Rice has wondered about it too, so she did a lot of research and wrote Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt (2005), imagining Jesus at the ages of 7-8. The story has "movie" written all over it, and after a number of fits and starts, it's finally coming to fruition, slated for release sometime in 2013. Rice originally had a movie deal with Good News Holdings, but that fell apart in 2009, and the project was shelved indefinitely. But after watching The Stoning of Soraya M, Rice felt like she'd found the right person to bring her story to the silver screen: American writer-director Cyrus Nowrasteh. Rice, who has had other books (most notably 1994's Interview with a Vampire) turned into films, told CT that she thought Soraya M was "beautifully written and directed. The film was restrained and eloquent and simple. It had a profound impact." She had just written a review at Amazon.com when her agent called to say that Nowrasteh was interested in Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. Says Rice, "I thought, Here is a fine director and someone who knows the Middle Eastern milieu. I was immediately interested." Nowrasteh, who will direct, partnered with his wife, Betsy, on the script. Casting has not yet begun—Nowrasteh says finding a young boy for the lead role "is not as easy as it might seem"—and filming will likely begin later this year. The movie will be produced by 1492 Pictures, founded by Chris Columbus and the studio behind three Harry Potter films, The Help, and many more. Of Rice's novel, Nowrasteh says, "I love the book. It's written with real passion and heart and belief. It's one of the most original fresh conceits at the heart of the story of Jesus. We tried to be faithful to it in the script." He adds that Rice's book is perfect for a film adaptation. "We're immersed both in a gritty ancient world and yet transported into the dreamy imaginings of a child filled with wonder, beauty and miracles," he says. "It's a beautiful and faith-affirming story." Rice agrees about her novel's natural fit for the big screen: "I think the book is very visual and will make a very entertaining and gripping movie. I tend to write cinematically, telling the story through scenes both great and small, and moving from one dramatic encounter to another." An American born of Iranian parents, Nowrasteh jokes that he is "Muslim by birth, Christian by marriage, and Jewish by inclination. I absolutely feel connected to Anne's book. I'm right there with her in the story." Rice says she "loved their script because they were true to the spirit of the book, true to the historical accuracy of the book, true to the all-important theological belief that Jesus is both God and Man. At the same time, they added elements to the script which will make this a very fast-paced and suspenseful film, and they added those elements without sacrificing the integrity of the material. They 'got' the Jewish background of the first century. They 'got' the dialogue of the family. They 'got' the idea that this is a fictional story about Jesus, but it is biblically and historically accurate." Of course, any film about Jesus is bound to come with some controversy. But Rice and Nowrasteh have been through it before. On July 29, 2010, Rice famously denounced Christianity on her Facebook page, writing, "Today I quit being a Christian. I'm out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being 'Christian' or to being part of Christianity. It's simply impossible for me to 'belong' to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I've tried. I've failed. I'm an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else." She later clarified that "my faith in Christ is central to my life. My conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn't understand, to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me. But following Christ does not mean following his followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become." She later discussed her decision with CT. We asked Rice if she thought her comments about Christianity might affect the film's marketability to a Christian audience. "I do not think it will affect the marketability of the film in any negative way for two reasons," she said. "First, there are many believers in Jesus who feel as I do. Most of the mail I received after my comments was positive, and from fellow believers who had walked away from organized religion, or who found themselves uncomfortable with it for various reasons. They understood my dilemma, my struggle, and my quest. "Second, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, the book is painstakingly researched and biblically and theologically accurate. That was the nature of the endeavor: to create a realistic and moving novel about Jesus, the Son of God, as he appears in Scripture, and as he appeared in history—to make him a living, breathing character for people, without ever betraying biblical and historical accuracy. The film, being true to this, is what many people want to see. In other words, I don't think the Christian audience will care about me personally or my journey. What they will care about is whether this film is really about the Jesus of faith. And once they realize that it is, they will be interested." Nowasteh also co-wrote with Betsy and produced the ABC miniseries, The Path to 9/11, which explores both the Clinton and Bush administrations leading up to the terrorist attacks in 2001. Members of the Clinton administration pummeled Nowrasteh and director David Cunningham regarding the film. They said it was an unfair characterization of their actions in dealing with Osama Bin Laden in the 1990s, and they allegedly forced ABC to edit the film before it aired. Nowrasteh fought back, speaking out on television, radio, and in print. Though Disney/ABC will not release the film on video after airing it only once on TV, Nowrasteh feels somewhat vindicated because he says the facts have not been disputed. (A documentary, Blocking the Path to 9/11, tells the story.)

Despite the potential controversy, Rice thinks Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt will have wide appeal. "It will please Christians and others because it will be entertaining and fresh," she says. "What this film offers is an opportunity to see an entirely new story about Jesus and his family that contains fictional incidents and fictional characters, yet this new story is entirely biblically correct. It's the story of Christmas told in an entirely new and fresh way. I think it will be immensely satisfying to Christians and yet completely surprising and arresting.

"Of course, some people will avoid any film that has to do with Jesus or the Bible. But perhaps this film will win over even those hardcore avoiders, when they hear that it offers scenes never before offered in such a film." Rice sees a specific faith-based audience catching on: "I hope Jewish viewers will be interested, because we have made every effort to present the Jews of the first century in a positive light. Jesus was a Jew growing up in a Jewish family; all his neighbors and friends and later apostles were Jews, and I spent a great deal of time researching the Jewish customs and village life of the time. Jewish and Christian readers and viewers came together for Ben Hur, both the book and the film, because it presented Jewish life in the first century respectfully and accurately. We don't have the spectacle of Ben Hur, but our intent is to make a film that Jewish viewers will enjoy, just as this was a book that Jewish readers enjoyed."

The Rabbula Gospels at the MET The Rabbula Gospels, or Rabula Gospels, (Florence, Biblioteca Mediceo Laurenziana, cod. Plut. I, 56) is a 6th century illuminatedSyriacGospel Book. One of the finest Byzantine-era works produced in Asia, and one of the earliest Christian manuscripts with large miniatures, it is distinguished by the miniaturist's predilection for bright colours, movement, drama, and expressionism. Coming from a period from which little art survives, and which saw great development in Christian iconography, the manuscript has a significant place in art history, and is very often referred to. The Gospel was completed in 586 at Monastery of St. John of Zagba (Syriac: ܙܓܒܐ, ܒܝܬBēṯ Zaḡbā), which, although traditionally thought to have been in Northern Mesopotamia, is now thought to have been in the hinterland between Antioch and Apamea in modern Syria. It was signed by its scribe, Rabbula (ܐܪܒܘܠ, Rabbulā) about whom nothing else is known. In their current condition the folios are 34 cm (13.4 in) by 27 cm (10.6 in). Their original size is unknown because they were trimmed during previous rebindings. The text is written in black or dark brown ink in two columns of a variable number of lines. There are footnotes written in red ink at the bottom of many of the columns. The text is the Peshitta version of the Syriac translation of the Gospels. The Exhibition's is entitled "Byzantium and Islam: Age of Transition." Apparently, the goal of the exhibit is to state that there was little difference between the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) culture and that of Islam. It is obvious that the uncivilized Arab barbarian hoards were going to be significantly influenced by the older and superior civilizations that they conquered or stole land from.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=338&articleid=20120502_338_0_RALEIG476201

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Rev. Billy Graham urged North Carolina voters Wednesday to support an amendment to the state constitution banning gay marriage, a move that one observer says is highly unusual but another says is in keeping with the minister's moral beliefs. "Watching the moral decline of our country causes me great concern," said the 93-year-old Graham, who lives near Asheville. "I believe the home and marriage is the foundation of our society and must be protected." His complete statement about Amendment One will be part of full-page ads slated to appear in 14 North Carolina newspapers throughout the weekend. Graham's statement was issued by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which is based in Charlotte and is led by Graham's son, the Rev. Franklin Graham. Franklin Graham recorded a message last month in support of Amendment One, which is on the ballot in the election Tuesday. "At 93, I never thought we would have to debate the definition of marriage," Billy Graham's statement said. "The Bible is clear — God's definition of marriage is between a man and a woman. I want to urge my fellow North Carolinians to vote for the marriage amendment" Tuesday. Although Graham's last crusade was in 2005, he remains deeply influential. In April 2010, President Barack Obama made the pilgrimage to meet with Graham, continuing a trend of counseling commanders in chief that began with Dwight Eisenhower. Since the death of his wife, Ruth Bell Graham, nearly five years ago, he has spent most of his time at his home in Montreat. Public appearances have been rare, and he's been hospitalized several times, most recently in December for pneumonia. Danny Akin, president of the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, said he's not surprised that Graham took such a strong stand on Amendment One. "I think he would see this as I do, not so much as a political issue — which it is — but a moral issue," Akin said. "He believes it's right to affirm that marriage should be understood as a covenant between a man and a woman." Billy Graham's daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, also has said she supports the amendment. North Carolina already outlaws gay marriage, but adding that ban to the state constitution would make it much harder to change in the future.

In mid-May, President Obama announced that he believes that Homosexuals should be allowed to marry.

The function of government is to protect human civilization. The foundation of human civilization is the marriage between a man and a woman and the family. When the government works to undermine the family it forfeits its very purpose and must be abolished. The book and series "Speechless" shows that the agenda of the homosexual political movement is to by law to discriminate against and persecute Christians. BY THE WAY-FOX NEWS IS VERY PRO-GAY. This includes John Stossel, Bill O'Reilly, and Charles Krauthammer. All three are very vocal on their support of special rights and privileges for homosexual. Undermining marriage will have a devastating impact on society and culture.

Also, the radical left-wing publication "Newsweek" put Obama on the cover with a rainbow colored halo (keeping up with their making Obama a god or a Christ figure) and the words "America's first gay president." Well, I am not going to argue with that.

NOTE: There was a planned "underwear" bomb attack planned for the anniversary of Osama's death. Obama falsely claimed that there was no planned anniversary attack and at the same time blew the double-agents cover who was involved in the prevention of the attack.

The other blog

My other blog is "The Aramaic New Testament" and it is www.aramaicbible.blogspot.com

Recommended Book: "Marked for Death: Islam's War Against the West and Me" by Geert Wilders

This book is excellent and highly recommended. He discusses two issues regarding the Aramaic Christian heritage. The first is the theory of "Christoph Luxenberg" that the Qu'ran was originally written in Syriac. I personally think this is highly unlikely. (Christoph Luxenberg is the pseudonym of an anonymous Aramaic Christian.) Muslims have threatened to kill Luxenberg for the blasphemy of saying that the Koran was written in Aramaic originally and not in Arabic. It is ironic that while some Muslims want to kill Mr. Luxenberg, others use his writings for apologetic purposes. Mr. Luxenberg says that in Aramaic, the Koran promises the martyred Muslim (that is a Muslim who falls in battle while killing Christians, Jews and other non-believers) is granted "raisons" and not "virgins" in heaven. Now the Koran also promises little boys, most likely catamites, to pleasure the martyrs, I don't know how Mr. Luxenberg explains that one. The Koran is not the product of a learned mind. It makes so many errors in re-telling Old Testament stories and from the New Testament, only John the Baptist, the Supper of Our Lord, and the crucifixion are alluded to-and Mohammed says that Jesus wasn't really crucified. Wilders point is that the origins of the Koran should be explored and the death threats against Mr. Luxenberg are preventing research from being done. Mr. Luxenberg is wrong. Now Wilders doesn't say that he is correct-his argument is that we should have an atmosphere in which the origins of the Koran can be explored and theories will stand or fall on their own merits.

Mr. Wilders also disproves the idea that Muslims caused the Renaissance by providing Europeans with translations of the Greek and Roman classics that were made by Assyrian Christians. Wilders says that the scientific progress of the Assyrian (East Syriac or "Nestorian") Christians were important-but most of the Greek Classics-the Europeans already had.

Wilders does mention Johannitius.

So who was Johannitius? Johannitius was Hunayn ibn Ishaq (also Hunain or Hunein) (Syriac: ܚܢܝܢܒܪܐܝܣܚܩ, Arabic: أبو زيد حنين بن إسحاق العبادي‎; 'Abū Zayd Ḥunayn ibn 'Isḥāq al-'Ibādī, known in Latin as Johannitius) (809–873) was a famous and influential AssyrianNestorian Christian scholar, physician, and scientist, known for his work in translating Greek scientific and medical works into Arabic and Syriac during the heyday of the Islamic Abbasid Caliphate. Ḥunayn ibn Isḥaq was the most productive translator of Greek medical and scientific treatises in his day. He studied Greek and became known among the Arabs as the "Sheikh of the translators." He mastered four languages: Arabic, Syriac, Greek and Persian. His translations did not require corrections. Hunayn's method was widely followed by later translators. He was originally from southern Iraq but he spent his working life in Baghdad, the center of the great ninth-century Greek-into-Arabic/Syriac translation movement.

This is a picture of Johannitius (Hunayn ibn-Ishaq al-'Ibadi )from an illuminated manuscript of the Isagoge. The Isagoge (Greek: Εἰσαγωγή) or "Introduction" to Aristotle's "Categories", written by Porphyry in Greek and translated into Latin by Boethius, was the standard textbook on logic for at least a millennium after his death.

Recommended Book Michael Savage "Trickle Down Tyranny: Crushing Obama's Dreams of the Socialist States of America

One of the interesting things in this book is Hilary Clinton's new theory of intervention. It is called "the responsibility to protect." When an uprising of radical Muslims threatens to overthrow a moderate regime or an American allie, we have a "responsibility to protect" the Islamists and guarantee their success in bringing a radical Islamist regime into power. However, according to the "responsibility to protect doctrine" our "responsibility to protect" doesn't extend to Coptic or Assyrian Christians.

Egypt court gives 12 Christians life sentences

CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court sentenced 12 Christians to life in prison and acquitted eight Muslims on Monday in a case set off by religious tensions in the country's south. The Christians were found guilty of sowing public strife, the possession of illegal weapons and shooting dead two Muslims in April of last year in Minya province, about 220 kilometers (135 miles) south of Cairo. The religious tension in Minya spilled over into violence last year when a Muslim microbus driver, angered by a speed bump outside a wealthy Christian man's villa, got into a scuffle with security guards who beat him. After returning to his village of Abu Qurqas that evening, he rounded up the villagers who then gathered outside an ultraconservative Islamist group's main office there to protest his beating. According to rights researcher Ishak Ibrahim, the Christians nearby thought they were going to be attacked and shot from their rooftops down at the crowd, killing two and wounding two others. For several days after, angry villagers torched dozens of Christian homes and stores. The eight Muslims on trial in the same case had been charged with possession of illegal weapons and burning down the Christian-owned homes and stores after the shooting. "The fact that the Muslims were acquitted means that the attorney general's investigation from the beginning was faulty and unfair because there was evidence to prove these men had burned Christian property," Ibrahim said. The State Security Court, whose rulings cannot be appealed, handed down its sentence on Monday. The ruling military council is the only entity with the power to request a retrial. Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's estimated 80 million people, complain that the courts and police often turn a blind eye to discrimination or violence against them. Some fear the surge of ultraconservative Islamists to power after Hosni Mubarak's overthrow last year could further curtail their rights.

Other recommended books:

"In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire" by Tom Holland. This book examines the world as it was before the rise of Islam. It discusses the Himyarite persecutions (as chronicles in a famous Aramaic book entitled "The Book of The Himyarites" which detailed how Jewish tribes of Arabs (yes-Arabic Jews-which seems oxymoronic today) persecuted Christians. His thesis is that Islam was inspired by imperialism-rather than imperialism being a later development of Islam.

Another interesting book is "The Aleppo Codex" by Matti Friedman. The Aleppo Codex is one of the oldest manuscripts of the Hebrew Old Testament. Unfortunately, a large section has been lost. This book tells the fascinating story of the Aleppo Codex-which I have written about in this newsletter.

Obama defense of Muslems persecuting Christians in Nigeria

There has been many horrific attacks lately against Christians, mostly Catholics, in Nigeria. Often these attacks are carried out during Sunday worship and many of the parishioners are killed. Obama says that this isn't religious persecution-it is only territorial disputes.

I wrote about the story of the priest having an ankle rope being a myth. Which it is-it turns out that it is from the Aramaic Zohar. Many people incorrectly assume that this story is in the Bible-which it isn't :

That Rope around the High Priest's Ankle By Tod Bolen –bibleplaces blog

It's a myth. Sorry to ruin such a good story for you.The notion that the high priest would tie a rope around his ankle before entering the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) so that his body could be pulled out should he be struck down is not found in any ancient source, including the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus, the Apocrypha, the Mishnah, the Babylonian Talmud, or the Jerusalem Talmud. The earliest reference that I know of is in a 13th century A.D. Jewish work, the Zohar: A knot of rope of gold hangs from his leg, from fear perhaps he would die in the holy of holies, and they would need to pull him out with this rope. The Zohar says a lot of other things that are not trustworthy. In fact, wearing such a rope would probably be a violation of Leviticus 16:3-4, which gives clear directions on what the high priest is to wear on Yom Kippur: But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. (ESV) John Gill cites this story in his Exposition of New Testament, published in 1746-48. Concerning Hebrews 9:7, he cites "Zohar in Lev. fol. 43. 3. & Imre Binah in ib": The Jews say, that a cord or thong was bound to the feet of the high-priest when he went into the holy of holies, that if he died there, the rest might be able to draw him out; for it was not lawful for another priest to go in, no, not an high-priest, none besides him on the day of atonement. There are many websites and other sources that perpetuate this legend (including the NIV Study Bible on Exodus 28:35). Another webpage that discusses this myth is located at ChristianAnswers.net.UPDATE (8/27/09): Rabbi Dr. Ari Z. Zivotofsky has written a lengthy article refuting the claim in the Zohar.

The IRS and the restriction of free speech for Christians

I do not believe that the IRS has any business monitoring the content of sermons. Many pastors are afraid of the IRS and are thus reluctant to speech out on moral issues. The Allied Defense Fund is preparing to defend our first amendment rights of speech and religion by being prepared to file a lawsuit the next time the IRS threatens to revoke a churches 501 C3 status.

The Roman Catholic Church sues Obamacare Obama is mandating that Christians religious institutions should be forced by law to pay for abortions. The Catholic church-thankfully-is suing over the law in order to protect our constitutional freedoms, our religious rights and our freedom of conscious. IT IS TROUBLING to see our basic human rights under attack at the highest level of the American government.

Why I don't ever want to see women in combat, on the front lines By Dr. Keith Ablow Saturday, May 19 is the official date for Armed Forces Day this year. As I write, the U.S. military is now easing some of the restrictions that have kept female soldiers away from the most dangerous military operations--allowing them to play more perilous support (but not combat) roles. This brings up a question that will help Americans ponder whether we wish to preserve any gender distinctions in our culture--and why. The question is this: Should females be allowed to serve in combat as front-line soldiers? An accessory question is: In the event the draft is reinstated, should females be drafted into the Armed Services for the first time in history and given combat roles (limited only by physical endurance, not gender)? I pose these questions because the momentum of the Women's Rights Movement that properly erased some of the indefensible barriers that limited women's roles in the workplace and in professions and in business and in politics could easily power past all the special characteristics generally considered "female" and treat all human beings essentially as if neutered. And before that occurs it seems we as Americans would want to make sure that we want it to. Just look at the plot in the blockbuster movie "The Hunger Games." Females and males are expected to kill each other without so much as a hiccup of hesitation. And audiences paid that fact no mind. Zero. Already, the side effects of abandoning traditional female stereotypes--like the notion that girls are extremely sensitive or have a unique role in nurturing and protecting children--are apparent. Predictably, girls increasingly feel as empowered as boys to express themselves sexually--and, with neither gender the demure one--young people have sexual contact earlier with more partners. Predictably, girls are increasingly in touch with their aggressive instincts, leading to more girl-on-girl physical violence. Predictably, marriage rates are declining as both genders see themselves as equally able to sustain themselves separately in the workplace and equally ambivalent about giving up sexual freedom. Again, I am not saying that these side effects are not well worth the gains in equality between genders we seek and achieve. I am, instead, noting that the gains do, indeed, shift other characteristics of our culture. And I am advising that we think through what, if anything, we lose when we make the argument that girls and boys are essentially the same. Questions about how to use females in the military are one such theatre of decision-making. In my opinion, I do not believe women should serve as combat soldiers. I know they are fully able to do so. I know they would acquit themselves spectacularly well. But I can't deny that I value the special place of women in society as a protected gender. I can't deny my core feeling that women--by virtue of their anatomy and physiology and whatever God-given ability to nurture they possess--would be impacted more negatively by mortal combat than men. I can't deny that I think it would bleed out some wonderful chivalrous quality in men were we to collectively send women to the front lines to bleed out as Marines shot up taking hills. I can't deny that, were my wife or I to have to leave our children to defend this nation in hand-to-hand combat, that I would hold myself in the most vile contempt for letting my wife be the one to go. I can't deny that I would worry for my son were he to volunteer or be drafted to fight on the front lines, but that I would worry even more for my daughter. I just don't think it is some vestige of a prejudiced, Neanderthal perspective I harbor that I believe our nation could be doubly demoralized by women coming back from war in body bags in equal numbers to men. I think it is something else: Reality. It is the truth making itself evident: When I was told as a boy to never hit a girl, it seemed entirely obvious to me. A given. What sort of boy would strike a female, anyhow? A liberated boy? Sorry, I just don't buy that--in my heart or my head. And by my very nature as a man, someplace deep in my soul, somewhere connected to God and truth, I want to protect women from violent death--even in war. Our culture is rapidly dissolving all those quaint "stereotypes" about girls being sweet and boys being tough. But I think that we ought to be careful not to destroy something valuable about the true differences between genders, in the process. Something just plain true. And I think that one place to draw the line is in combat--where men must sometimes fight to the death on the front lines and women should never have to. Dr. Keith Ablow is a psychiatrist and member of the Fox News Medical A-Team. Dr. Ablow can be reached at info@keithablow.com.Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/05/19/why-dont-ever-want-to-see-women-in-combat-on-front-lines/#ixzz1vVUKDEnK

L.A.'s Ch ristian Mongolians Find Home at Church:A small group gathers in Koreatown on Sundays to share their faith and support each other in a new land.November 26, 2005|K. Connie Kang | Times Staff WriterEvery Sunday evening after their 90-minute worship service, members of the L.A. Mongolian Church rearrange pew benches, turning their small sanctuary into a cozy dining room. There, they linger over noodles and tacos, and visit with each other late into the night. It's a weekly ritual that congregants of Los Angeles' only Mongolian church look forward to. It sustains them through the week, as they work long hours, often in low-paying jobs, to survive in America.

(Note: this is a Syriac (Aramaic) Christian book Muslims are trying to pass off as the "Gospel of Barnabas")

Iran's Basij Press is claiming a purported Gospel of Barnabas, discovered in 2000, will prove that Islam is the final and righteous religion, causing the collapse worldwide of Christianity. Turkey confiscated the text, written on animal hide, in an anti-smuggling operation. Turkish authorities believe it could be an authentic version of the Gospel of Barnabas by the apostle known for his travels with the apostle Paul. Basij Press contends the text was written in the 5th or 6th century and predicts the coming of Muhammad and the religion of Islam. The Christian world, it says, denies the existence of such a gospel. Another known "Barnabas Gospel" dates to the late 16th century, which would post-date Muhammad. In the Barnabas text held by Turkey, chapter 41 states: "God has hidden himself as Archangel Michael ran them (Adam and Eve) out of heaven, (and) when Adam turned, he noticed that at top of the gateway to heaven, it was written 'La elah ela Allah, Mohamad rasool Allah,'" meaning Allah is the only God and Muhammad his prophet. The Turkish army has taken possession of the text because the "Zionists" and the governments of the West are trying to suppress its contents, Basij Press claims. According to the Barnabas Gospel in Turkey's hands, Basij Press says, Jesus was never crucified, He's not the Son of God and He, Himself, predicts the coming of Muhammad. The book even predicts the coming of the last Islamic messiah, the report says. "The discovery of the original Barnabas Bible will now undermine the Christian Church and its authority and will revolutionize the religion in the world," the Basij report says. "The most significant fact, though, is that this Bible has predicted the coming of Prophet Mohammad and in itself has verified the religion of Islam, and this alone will unbalance the powers of the world and create instability in the Christian world." The Basij report concludes that the discovery is so immense, it will affect world politics, and that the world powers have become aware of its impact. Turkey plans to put the Bible on public display. Though Turkish authorities believe it could be an authentic version of the Gospel of Barnabas, others believe it only goes back to the 16th century and is a fake because it would have been written centuries after Muhammad's life. Erick Stakelbeck, host of the Christian Broadcasting Network's "Stakelbeck on Terror" show and a close observer of Iranian affairs, said Iran is highlighting the book because it sees Christianity as a threat. "The Iranian regime is committed to stamping out Christianity by any means necessary, whether that means executing Christian converts, burning Bibles or raiding underground churches," he explained. "In promoting the so-called Barnabas Bible – which was likely written sometime in the 16th century and is not accepted by any mainstream Christian denomination – the regime is once again attempting to discredit the Christian faith. Record numbers of young Iranians are leaving Islam and embracing Christ, and the mullahs see Christianity as a growing threat to their authority." The Vatican has requested to see the text, but it is unknown if Turkey has provided access. Iranian ayatollahs regularly declared that Islam is the last and only righteous religion sent by God. Grand Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, in a recent statement, proclaimed that since the Quran was the last holy book and provides the most complete religion to the world, and Muhammad the last prophet, there is no authority to abide by other books. The Quran clearly indicates that only those who have accepted the true religion of Islam are the guided ones, he said.

As reported recently, a former intelligence officer in the Revolutionary Guards revealed that tens of thousands of Bibles were confiscated and burned in Iran under the order of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The mullah said the Bible is not a holy book and its burning is morally acceptable. Khamenei said: "In light of the realization of the divine promise by almighty Allah, the Zionists and the Great Satan (America) will soon be defeated. Allah's promise will be delivered and Islam will be victorious."

Reza Kahlili is a pseudonym for a former CIA operative in Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the author of the award-winning book, A Time to Betray. He is a senior Fellow with EMPact America, a member of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security and teaches at the U.S. Department of Defense's Joint Counterintelligence Training Academy (JCITA).

The Gospel of Barnabas is a book depicting the life of Jesus, and claiming to be by Jesus' disciple Barnabas, who in this work is one of the twelve apostles. Two manuscripts are known to have existed, both dated to the late 16th century and written respectively in Italian and in Spanish—although the Spanish manuscript is now lost, its text surviving only in a partial 18th-century transcript. Barnabas is about the same length as the four Canonical gospels put together (the Italian manuscript has 222 chapters, compared with 16 in Mark), with the bulk being devoted to an account of Jesus' ministry, much of it harmonized from accounts also found in the canonical gospels. In some key respects, it conforms to the Islamic interpretation of Christian origins and contradicts the New Testament teachings of Christianity. This Gospel is considered by the majority of academics, including Christians and some Muslims (such as Abbas el-Akkad) to be late and pseudepigraphical; however, some academics suggest that it may contain some remnants of an earlier apocryphal work (perhaps Gnostic, Ebionite, or Diatessaronic), redacted to bring it more in line with Islamic doctrine. Some Muslims consider the surviving versions as transmitting a suppressed apostolic original. Some Islamic organizations cite it in support of the Islamic view of Jesus. This work should not be confused with the surviving Epistle of Barnabas, nor with the surviving Acts of Barnabas.

Some readers have noted that the Gospel of Barnabas contains a number of apparent anachronisms and historical incongruities:

It has Jesus sailing across the Sea of Galilee to Nazareth – which is actually inland; and from thence going "up" to Capernaum – which is actually on the lakeside (chapters 20-21); though this is contested by Blackhirst, who says that the traditional location of Nazareth is itself questionable.

Jesus is said to have been born during the rule of Pontius Pilate, which began after the year 26.

Barnabas appears not to realize that "Christ" and "Messiah" are synonyms, "Christ" (khristos) being a Greek translation of the word messiah (mashiach), both having the meaning of "anointed". The Gospel of Barnabas thus errs in describing Jesus as "Jesus Christ" (lit. "Messiah Jesus" in Greek), yet claiming that 'Jesus confessed and said the truth, "I am not the Messiah"' (ch. 42).

There is reference to a jubilee which is to be held every hundred years (Chapter 82), rather than every fifty years as described in Leviticus: 25. This anachronism appears to link the Gospel of Barnabas to the declaration of a Holy Year in 1300 by Pope Boniface VIII; a Jubilee which he then decreed should be repeated every hundred years. In 1343 the interval between Holy Years was reduced by Pope Clement VI to fifty years.

The Gospel talks of wine being stored in wooden casks (chapter 152). Wooden casks were a characteristic of Gaul and Northern Italy, and were not commonly used for wine in the Roman empire until after 300 CE; whereas wine in 1st century Palestine was always stored in wineskins and jars (amphorae). The Pedunculate or English OakQuercus robur does not grow in Palestine; and the wood of other species is not sufficiently airtight to be used in wine casks,

In Chapter 91, the "Forty Days" is referred to as an annual fast. This corresponds to the Christian tradition of fasting for forty days in Lent; a practice that is not witnessed earlier than the Council of Nicaea (325). Nor is there a forty days' fast in Judaism of the period (see MishnahTractateTa'anit, "Days of Fasting").

Where the Gospel of Barnabas includes quotations from the Old Testament, these correspond to readings as found in the Latin Vulgate; rather than as found in either the Greek Septuagint, or the Hebrew Masoretic Text. However, it should be noted that the Latin Vulgate translation was a work that St. Jerome began in 382 AD, centuries after the death of Barnabas.

In Chapter 54 it says: "For he would get in change a piece of gold must have sixty mites" (Italian minuti). In the New Testament period, the only golden coin, the aureus, was worth approximately 3,200 of the smallest bronze coin, the lepton (translated into Latin as minuti); while the Roman standard silver coin, the denarius, was worth 128 leptons. The rate of exchange of 1:60 implied in the Gospel of Barnabas was, however, a commonplace of late medieval interpretation of the counterpart passage in the canonical Gospels (Mark 12:42), arising from the standard medieval understanding of minuti as meaning 'a sixtieth part'.

Chapter 91 records three contending Jewish armies 200,000 strong at Mizpeh, totaling 600,000 men, at a time when the Roman army across the entire Empire had a total strength estimated as 300,000.

Some students of the work argue for an Italian origin, noting phrases in Barnabas which are very similar to phrases used by Dante and suggesting that the author of Barnabas borrowed from Dante's works; they take the Spanish version's preface to support this conclusion. Other students have noted a range of textual similarities between passages in the Gospel of Barnabas, and variously the texts of a series of late medieval vernacular harmonies of the four canonical gospels (in Middle English and Middle Dutch, but especially in Middle Italian); which are all speculated as deriving from a lost Vetus Latina version of the Diatessaron of Tatian . If true, this would also support an Italian origin.

Other students argue that the Spanish version came first, regarding the Spanish preface's claims of an Italian source as intended to boost the work's credibility by linking it to the Papal libraries. These scholars note parallels with a series of Morisco forgeries, the Sacromonte tablets of Granada, dating from the 1590s; or otherwise with Morisco reworkings of Christian and Islamic traditions, produced following the expulsion of the Moriscos from Spain.

A detailed comparison between the surviving Italian and Spanish texts shows numerous places where the Spanish reading appears to be secondary, as for example, where a word necessary for the meaning is missing in the Spanish text but present in the Italian. Bernabé Pons, arguing for the priority of the Spanish version, maintains that these are due to transcription errors perpetrated by the 18th century English scribe who created the Sydney manuscript. Joosten, however, while accepting that the carelessness of the English scribe is the most likely explanation for most such instances, nevertheless argues that a minority of such readings are due to translation errors in the Spanish text: as, for example, where the Italian text employs the conjunction pero, with an Italian meaning 'therefore'; while the Spanish text also reads pero, with a Spanish meaning 'however'; the Italian sense being the one demanded by the context. There are, however, other passages where the Spanish text makes sense, while the Italian does not, and many features of the Italian text that are not found in the Spanish; such as the titles for chapters 1 - 27. Joosten argues that this indicates that both the 16th century Italian and Spanish texts must depend on a lost Italian original, which he, in common with the Raggs, dates to the mid 14th century. Joosten states:

A systematic comparison of the Italian and Spanish texts of the Gospel of Barnabas leads to the conclusion that the Spanish was translated from the Italian at a date somewhat removed from the original.

The lost Spanish manuscript claimed to have been written in Istanbul, and the surviving Italian manuscript has several Turkish features; so, whether the language of origin was Spanish or Italian, Istanbul is regarded by most students as the place of origin of the present text.

Following the conquest of Moorish Granada in 1492, Sephardi Jews and Muslim Mudéjar were expelled from Spain. Although some found initial refuge in Italy (especially Venice), most resettled in the Ottoman Empire, where Spanish speaking Jews established in Istanbul a rich sub-culture with a flourishing Hebrew and Ladino printing industry. Numbers were further augmented after 1550, following campaigns of persecution by the Venetian Inquisition against Italian anti-Trinitarians and Jews. Although Muslim teaching at this time strongly opposed the printing of Islamic or Arabic texts, non-Muslim printing was not, in principle, forbidden; indeed attempts were made in the 1570s by anti-Trinitarian Christians to establish a printing press in the Turkish capital to publish radical Protestant works. In the Spanish preface, Fra Marino records his wish that the Gospel of Barnabas should be printed, and the only place in Europe where that would have been possible in the late 16th century would have been Istanbul.

A minority of students – such as David Sox– are, however, suspicious of the apparent 'Turkish' features of the Italian manuscript; especially the Arabic annotations, which they adjudge to be so riddled with elementary errors as to be most unlikely to have been written in Istanbul (even by an Italian scribe). In particular, they note that the glossing of the Italian version of the shahada into Arabic, does not correspond exactly with the standard ritual formula recited daily by every Muslim. These students are inclined to infer from these inconsistencies that both manuscripts may represent an exercise in forensic falsification, and they tend to locate their place of origin as Rome. Few academics argue that the text, in its present form, dates back any earlier than the 14th–16th centuries; although a minority see it as containing portions of an earlier work, and almost all would detect the influence of earlier sources—over and above the Vulgate text of the Latin Bible. Consequently most students would concur with a stratification of the surviving text into at least three distinct layers of composition:

an editorial layer dating from the 1590s; and comprising, at the least, the Spanish preface and the Arabic annotations,

a layer of vernacular narrative composition, either in Spanish or Italian, and dating from no earlier than the mid 14th century,

a layer derived from earlier source materials, almost certainly transmitted to the vernacular author/translator in Latin; and comprising, at the least, those extensive passages in the Gospel of Barnabas that closely parallel pericopes in the canonical gospels; but whose underlying text appears markedly distinct from that of the late medieval Latin Vulgate[30] (as for instance in the alternative version of the Lord's Prayer in chapter 37, which includes a concluding doxology, contrary to the Vulgate text, but in accordance with the Diatessaron and many other early variant traditions);

Much of the controversy and dispute concerning the authenticity of the Gospel of Barnabas can be re-expressed as debating whether specific highly transgressive themes (from an orthodox Christian perspective) might already have been present in the source materials utilised by a 14th–16th century vernacular author, whether they might be due to that author himself, or whether they might even have been interpolated by the subsequent editor. Those students who regard these particular themes as primitive, nevertheless do not generally dispute that other parts of the Gospel may be late and anachronistic; while those students who reject the authenticity of these particular themes do not generally dispute that other parts of the Gospel could be transmitting variant readings from antiquity. This work clearly contradicts the New Testament biblical accounts of Jesus and his ministry but has strong parallels with the Islamic faith, not only mentioning Muhammad by name, but including the shahadah (chapter 39). It is strongly anti-Pauline and anti-Trinitarian in tone. In this work, Jesus is described as a prophet and not the son of God, while Paul is called "the deceived." Furthermore, the Gospel of Barnabas states that Jesus escaped crucifixion by being raised alive to heaven, while Judas Iscariot the traitor was crucified in his place. These beliefs—in particular, that Jesus is a prophet of God and raised alive without being crucified—conform to or resemble Islamic teachings which say that Jesus is a major prophet who did not die on the cross but was taken alive by angels to God (Allah). Other passages, however, conflict with the teachings of the Qur'an—as, for instance, in the account of the Nativity, where Mary is said to have given birth to Jesus without pain[ or as in Jesus's ministry, where he permits the drinking of wine and enjoins monogamy—though the Qur'an acknowledges each prophet had a set of their own laws that might differ in some aspects from each other. Other examples include that hell will only be for the committers of the seven deadly sins (Barnabas: 4-44/135), anyone who refuses to be circumcised will not enter paradise (Barnabas 17/23), that God has a soul (Barnabas 6/82), that there are 9 heavens (Barnabas 3/105). If the Gospel of Barnabas is seen as an attempted synthesis of elements from both Christianity and Islam, then 16th and 17th century parallels can be suggested in Morisco and anti-Trinitarian writings. In 1985, it was briefly claimed that an early Syriac copy of this gospel had been found near Hakkâri in eastern Turkey. However, it has since been demonstrated that this manuscript actually contains the canonical Bible. In February of 2012, it was reported in Turkish newspapers that another Syriac manuscript of the Gospel of Barnabas had been found in Cyprus in 2000, in an operation conducted by police against smugglers; and, having been kept in a police repository since then, had been deposited in the Ethnography Museum of Ankara. The manuscript was however asserted as being a forgery by a number of Syriac language experts.

This reminds me of the "Shem Tov" Hebrew Matthews. Jews in Europe in the Middle Ages translated the Gospel of Matthew into Hebrew so they could use it in debates with Christians. Recently, people have attempted to pass of these Medieval translations as the original Hebrew version of Matthew's Gospel. However, the Shem Tov is full of Latin words from the Vulgate and many anachronisms similar to those found above that there is NO DOUBT that it IS NOT the original Matthew. All of the errors in the Gospel of Barnabas PROVE WITHOUT A DOUBT that it was created by Europeans who had converted to Islam in the 1500s.

More fakes frauds and phoneys-the book of Jasher

In Alcuinus' supposed translation, the Law is not given to Moses on Mount Sinai by God, but near to the mountain by Moses' father-in-law Jethro as the basis for civil government. The Creation occurs in the first chapter by natural process out of the ether and God only appears in Eden after the plants and animals at the human stage of creation. Adam and Eve do not transgress, and later on Noah is credited only with the invention of shipping. The adjustments to the biblical narrative clearly promote Deist and Rationalist viewpoints from the 18th Century when the book was published, and the noble innocence of primitive humanity untarnished by original sin. Alcuin was indeed a famous 8th-century English abbot, but he would not have produced a translation in the English of the King James Bible, living as he did in the era of Anglo-Saxon and ecclesiastical Latin, so the provenance of the text was immediately suspect. There is an implausable introductory account by Alcuin of his discovery of the manuscript in Persia and its history since the time of Jasher, and an equally unlikely commendation by Wycliffe the pre-Reformation bible-translator. The supposed lost book was declared an obvious hoax by the Monthly Review in the December of the year of publication and the printer Jacob Ilive was sentenced in 1756 to three years in jail for this fraud and for his radical anti-religious pamphlets.[citation needed]

In 1829, a slightly revised and enlarged edition was published in Bristol provoking attacks against it. A photographic reproduction of this 1829 edition was published in 1934 by the Rosicrucian Order in San Jose, California who declared it was an inspired work.

Ex-Muslims speak out www.formermuslimsunited.org This is a good site dealing with Muslims who have renounced the Islamic religion and are very concerned about the encroachments into our free society of political Islam and the threat it poses to our liberties and our way of life.

Saint Sebastian

At comicpalooza I met Michael Biehn. One of his earlier roles was in a movie called "The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian." Oddly enough, homosexuals have made movies about Saint Sebastian-and the Michael Biehn movie has been described as "homo-erotic." The image of "The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian" has become rather popular. Mohammed Ali (Cassius Clay) the Boxer also posed as Saint Sebastian. However, according to his martyrology, he was tied up and shot with arrows-but he survived and later died when he was beaten with rods.

Obama's "Kill List" The White House responded Tuesday to criticism of the Obama administration's use of drone attacks and a so-called "kill list," saying President Obama will do what is necessary to protect Americans from harm."President Obama made clear from the start to his advisers and to the world that we were going to take whatever steps are necessary to protect the American people from harm, and particularly from a terrorist attack," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.Details about the attacks in such places as Yemen and Pakistan and the Al Qaeda members on the list were made public in a lengthy New York Times story that included interviews with more than 30 White House advisers and former advisers.The story has resulted a range of concerns and questions – including about the legality of such attacks in countries where the United States is technically not at war and the moral implications of Obama deciding whether to OK a drone strike that could potentially kill civilians, as well as whether the Times interviews resulted in potential security leaks.On the issue of a potential security breach, Carney referred to a recent speech by White House chief counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan, in which he provided an open view of the drone mission and the administration's large counter-terrorism policy.The interviews create a vivid account of weekly counter-terrorism meetings in the White House Situation Room in which officials review a list of targets for the remote-control drone planes, then the president personally signs off on who will get killed or captured. There were turning points early in Obama's term for what is considered an unprecedented and aggressive approach by a president toward dismantling Al Qaeda. Reportedly weighing on the administration's deliberations were a strike in Yemen that killed civilians and an attempted Christmas 2009 attack on a U.S.-bound jet.Deliberations also reportedly turned to the legal justification for carrying out the plans, including the fatal 2011 attack on American-born cleric and Al Qaeda propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki.Republicans and other critics say Obama has chosen to kill suspected terrorists rather than capture them, an approach they say was necessitated by his failure to keep a campaign promise to craft a plan to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba."Nearly three and a half years after announcing his intention to close Guantanamo prison, President Obama still hasn't offered a plan to deal with the dangerous terrorists it holds," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said late Tuesday.